Chapter 40. Counting Down to Goodbye

"Everyone, the cake is here!" Keiko whispered excitedly, carefully closing the door behind her with a soft click.

She cradled the cake box in her arms like it was something precious.

The girls had plotted this little surprise for Haruto, knowing how disappointed he was last night when the cake delivery got delayed.

Today, they were going to make up for it.

Stifling giggles, the girls tiptoed down the hallway and stealthily slipped into the guys' room.

The only sound was Haruto's gentle, rhythmic breathing as he slept, completely unaware of the impending surprise.

Ayaka quickly grabbed the matches and leaned over the cake, the flickering flames of the candles casting a soft glow over her features as she carefully lit each one.

The warm scent of vanilla and frosting filled the room. Keiko gave her a nod, signaling it was time.

Suddenly, a chorus of voices broke the silence.

"Happy birthday to you..."

Even the guys joined in, grinning. Clearly, they had been in on the plan all along, leaving Haruto as the only clueless one.

Haruto stirred, his brows furrowing as he blinked groggily, momentarily disoriented.

But the moment his eyes landed on Keiko standing before him, holding the glowing cake, realization dawned. His face lit up with childlike excitement.

As the final notes of the birthday song faded, Keiko smiled and leaned in. "Make a wish!" she said softly, her voice filled with warmth.

Haruto closed his eyes, pausing for a moment of quiet contemplation before blowing out the candles in one smooth breath.

Everyone clapped, laughter and cheers echoing around the room.

"Thank you, everyone!" Haruto grinned widely, but his gaze quickly zeroed in on Keiko, the rest of the room fading away.

Without hesitation, he reached out, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her lips, a gesture filled with unspoken affection and gratitude.

Applause erupted, the group whooping and teasing the couple affectionately.

But amidst the cheerful chaos, Ayaka stood slightly apart, a soft smile on her lips.

Yet, something made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. She couldn't shake the strange sensation of being watched.

Her eyes instinctively scanned the room—and froze.

Akihiko.

He was standing across the room, his tall frame relaxed, hands casually tucked into his pockets.

But his eyes—those sharp, glacial blue eyes—were locked solely on her. Not on Haruto and Keiko, not on the cake. On her.

Heat surged to Ayaka's cheeks. It was as if his gaze pinned her in place, unraveling her completely.

Flustered, she quickly dropped her eyes, pretending to focus on the cake instead.

Her heart was hammering far too loudly in her chest.

"Come on! Let's eat this cake, guys!" Haruto's voice cut through the air, the sound of shuffling feet as everyone moved toward the cake.

Ayaka stepped back, trying to shake off the lingering tension. But before she could join the others, she felt a subtle brush against her hand.

Akihiko had walked past her, so close she could feel the faintest trace of his cologne, cool and clean like crisp winter air.

His pinky finger hooked gently around hers for just a moment—deliberate, fleeting, but unmistakable.

Ayaka's breath caught.

Her pulse stuttered wildly as she glanced down at their barely-there touch. Her mind raced. 'D-did he… want to hold my hand? I'm just probably imagining it!''

By the time she looked up, Akihiko was already a step ahead, his expression unreadable as always—but there was a hint of something at the corner of his lips.

Something almost smug, as if he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

She swallowed hard, feeling her heartbeat flutter uncontrollably.

------

In the afternoon, the sun hung lazily overhead, casting golden streaks across the villa's private beach.

The sound of crashing waves mixed with bursts of laughter as everyone had gathered near the volleyball net, the sand warm beneath their feet.

"Alright! Let's do this! Six versus six!" Kazumi clapped his hands, rallying the group.

Keiko and Haruto had taken one side, joined by Ayaka, Kazumi, and two others. Everyone was in high spirits, competitiveness sparking as the game was about to begin.

But there was one glaring problem.

"Oi, Nakamura!" Kazumi hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. "Get your lazy ass over here! We're short one person!"

Across the sand, Akihiko lay sprawled under the shade of a large beach umbrella, a cool drink in hand, legs stretched out like he had all the time in the world.

His silver hair shimmered under the sunlight. He barely spared Kazumi a glance, slightly in a mock toast.

"No thanks. I'm good right here." Akihiko replied coolly, voice dripping with that signature indifference.

Kazumi groaned loudly, throwing his arms up. "Seriously?! You've been lounging the whole time! We're twelve people total—six per team! It's basic math, man!"

The others laughed, watching Kazumi stomp dramatically in the sand, clearly frustrated.

Ayaka stood on her side of the court, trying to suppress a smile.

She stole a glance at Akihiko, who had the faintest smirk playing on his lips. His gaze flickered briefly to her, as if gauging her reaction.

"Oh come on, Akihiko, don't be boring!" Kazumi pressed, now marching toward him like a man on a mission. "You're tall, you're athletic—hell, you'd probably destroy us all if you actually played! Just get up already!"

Akihiko leaned back further in his chair. "And where's the fun in that?" he drawled.

"Watching you flail around is much more entertaining."

Kazumi let out an exaggerated groan. "You absolute menace!"

"Leave him, Kazumi!" Haruto chimed in, laughing. "He's clearly committed to his spectator role."

"Ugh! Fine!" Kazumi huffed, trudging back to the court. "If we lose, I'm blaming you."

Ayaka couldn't help but glance at Akihiko again, who had now shifted his gaze toward the game, looking entirely relaxed.

But she caught something else—a flicker of amusement beneath his usual stoicism. He was clearly enjoying riling Kazumi up.

The game started, cheers and shouts filling the air as everyone got into it.

Ayaka jumped to hit the ball, her laughter mixing with the others, but every now and then, she felt his eyes lingering.

Between serves and spikes, she'd sneak glances toward the shade. Akihiko was still lounging, but his attention was unmistakably fixed on the court—on the group, sure, but mostly on her.

Every time she caught him looking, her pulse would skitter.

During a break, Kazumi stomped over once more, dramatically pointing a finger at Akihiko. "You're dead weight, man. Emotional dead weight!"

Akihiko simply raised an eyebrow, lips twitching. "And yet here I am, enjoying the view while you sweat."

Everyone burst out laughing at that.

Ayaka wiped sweat from her brow, heart still racing—not from the game, but from the knowledge that even when Akihiko looked completely detached, his quiet attention never really wavered.

The second game kicked off under the sweltering sun, tension crackling in the air like electricity. On one side of the net, Kazumi stood with only five members—Emi, Yuki, Shou, Haruto, and himself—sweat already glistening on their foreheads.

Across from them, Ayaka's team looked strong and confident, consisting of Keiko, Kaito, Hikaru, Sota, Ryuuji, and Ayaka herself, her ponytail swishing with every move.

Kazumi, clearly struggling, cast a desperate look toward the beach umbrella where Akihiko lounged effortlessly, leaning back on his elbows, long legs stretched out, his silver hair tousled by the breeze.

"Come on, man! We're losing here!" Kazumi shouted, frustration bleeding into his voice.

But Akihiko merely smirked, eyes gleaming like ice-blue shards beneath the sunlight. "You should focus on the game rather than wasting your breath on me."

Predictably, Kazumi—too busy yelling—missed a serve. The ball dropped untouched onto his side of the sand.

"See?" Akihiko teased, the corner of his mouth lifting. Kazumi groaned loudly, earning laughter from both teams.

As the game continued, the sound of footsteps approached.

A group of guys—probably other vacationers—ambled by, slowly logging noticeably when their eyes landed on Ayaka.

She had just spiked the ball, the sun highlighting the curve of her neck, her ponytail swinging as she turned, breathless and smiling.

"Woah, check out that beauty!" one guy murmured, eyes glued to her. "The one with the ponytail."

"Damn, yeah." another chimed in. "Think she's single?"

"Maybe. Should we hang around, see if they need more players after this?"

Their voices weren't particularly quiet.

Akihiko's smile vanished. His jaw tensed, fists tightening against his thighs, knuckles whitening.

Without a word, he stood up fluidly, his tall frame casting a shadow across the sand as he made his way toward the court.

Kazumi, seeing him approach, lit up like fireworks. "Finally! Mr. Surgeon decides to grace us with his presence!"

But before Kazumi could celebrate properly, Akihiko wordlessly crossed the net—to the opposing side.

"Wha—HEY! You're supposed to be on my team, Nakamura!" Kazumi shouted, throwing up his hands in disbelief.

"I'm joining this side." Akihiko said coolly, not bothering to explain further, his gaze sweeping past Kazumi as if he hadn't heard the protest.

The group burst into laughter, thoroughly entertained by Kazumi's mounting frustration.

"Well, guess I'll even the numbers out." Hikaru grinned, jogging over to Kazumi's team. "Can't have five versus seven."

Kazumi grumbled under his breath but relented.

As the teams reset, Ryuuji leaned toward Sota, voice low. "Seems like those guys are eyeing Yamamoto."

"Told you." Sota whispered back. "She's the type a lot of guys would line up for."

Keiko glanced at the sidelines and nodded. "They're definitely waiting for us to finish. Probably planning to approach her."

Akihiko heard every word. His shoulders rolled back, tension stiff in his frame, and his voice came out sharp, clipped.

"Hey. Focus on the game." he ordered quietly, then glanced at Ayaka. "Ayaka. Move here. My side."

Ayaka blinked, stunned by the sudden request, but she nodded, shifting closer to him, her heart hammering.

His expression was unreadable, but she could feel the heat radiating off his body, his tall, broad frame beside her like a solid wall.

Memories flickered unbidden—Kazumi's teasing yesterday about how popular Akihiko was with the girls, and how Ayaka herself was just as sought after by the guys.

The whistle blew, and the game resumed.

But everything felt different now.

Akihiko played like a man possessed—smooth, powerful, every movement controlled yet commanding attention.

When he leapt to block a spike, muscles flexing beneath his loose tank top, a chorus of squeals erupted from nearby.

His tall, lean figure, broad shoulders, and sharp profile made him impossible to ignore.

The crowd swelled. More onlookers gathered, girls shamelessly cheering every time Akihiko jumped, dove, or served with precision.

He moved like he belonged in some sports magazine cover, glistening with sweat, his silver hair falling slightly over his forehead, but his eyes… his eyes flickered back to Ayaka every chance he got.

Meanwhile, the guys on the sidelines still lingered, eyes following Ayaka's every move.

She couldn't help but notice, her nerves prickling, but each time she felt uneasy, Akihiko's presence grounded her.

Finally, the sun is almost setting and the game ended with Ayaka's team narrowly clinching victory.

As everyone celebrated, panting and laughing, Akihiko strode wordlessly back toward the umbrella, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat dripping down his neck and chest.

But it wasn't over.

Sota suddenly glanced around, eyes wide. "Wait… were this many people watching earlier?!"

Ryuuji laughed, clapping him on the back. "I think we have Akihiko to thank for that. Pretty sure he has his own beach fan club now."

Ayaka was about to join the group when she heard her name.

"Ayaka."

She turned to see Akihiko standing under the shade, beckoning her with two fingers.

Confused, she walked over, only to yelp as he threw a towel over her head, draping it down to cover her face.

His large hands gently rubbed at her damp hair, shielding her completely.

"Hey! I can't breathe!" she squeaked, tugging at the towel.

Across the beach, the guys who had been eyeing her paused, exchanging glances.

"…Oh, She has a boyfriend..." one of them mumbled, before they all shuffled away awkwardly.

Even the girls who had been giggling over Akihiko started losing interest, slowly dispersing as the scene played out.

Akihiko exhaled deeply as the crowd thinned, finally pulling the towel off her head. His blue eyes glinted, lips curved in a small, knowing smile.

"What was that about?" Ayaka asked, heart racing.

Before he could answer, Hikaru jogged over, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Man, finally! The crowd cleared out. If I knew pretending to be a couple would scare them all off, I would've suggested it earlier!" he joked.

The others laughed, but Ayaka stood frozen, Hikaru's words slicing through her.

Pretending to be a couple…

If only.

Her chest tightened painfully, the reality sinking in. The vacation would end. So would the contract.

And this—whatever this strange, breathless thing was between her and Akihiko—would be over too.

Lost in thought, she barely heard Keiko announcing it was time for dinner.

She snapped out of it when something cold pressed against her cheek.

"Ahh! Cold!" she yelped, recoiling.

Akihiko chuckled, holding the bottle of water up with a small smirk. "Welcome back."

His eyes lingered on her flushed face, softer now. "Let's go. Dinner is waiting."

He walked beside her as the others trailed ahead, but Ayaka said nothing, clutching her chest where her heartbeat felt like it might give her away.